Who is Charlie Kirk — and why his death shakes US politics

Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who was killed Wednesday during a public debate at Utah Valley University, built Turning Point USA into one of the most influential forces in Republican youth politics.

The shooting has reverberated through US politics, silencing one of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) generation’s defining voices. The assassination of Kirk — a close ally of Donald Trump whose blend of Christian nationalism, culture-war rhetoric and relentless campus organising reshaped the GOP’s approach to young voters — has thrown his movement into uncertainty and renewed fears about political violence in America.

The fatal gunshot came from a rooftop as Kirk answered a question about gun violence under a tent marked “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” Utah’s governor called the killing a “political assassination,” and the FBI and state police launched a massive manhunt for the shooter, who escaped amid chaos.

Here’s what we know about Charlie Kirk.

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in suburban Chicago in 2012 at just 18, alongside Tea Party activist William Montgomery. The group’s mission was to promote low taxes, limited government and a conservative lifestyle brand on high school and college campuses. By 2024, it had grown to chapters on thousands of campuses and an annual budget approaching $85 million.

Kirk emerged as one of Donald Trump’s earliest and most vocal youth allies, serving as an aide to Trump’s eldest son during the 2016 campaign. He became a regular on cable TV, championing Trump’s policies and amplifying culture-war issues. Turning Point’s political wing ran ground operations to mobilise infrequent conservative voters during Trump’s 2024 campaign, helping him win back Arizona.

Known for brash statements on race, gender and religion, Kirk leaned into culture-war themes that drew protests and online petitions whenever he appeared on campuses. He criticised Juneteenth as “anti-American,” called George Floyd a “scumbag,” and invoked Christian nationalism in speeches. Yet his admirers praised his willingness to debate opponents publicly rather than avoid dissent.

Kirk’s evangelical Christian beliefs were deeply entwined with his politics. He embraced the Seven Mountain Mandate, calling on Christians to lead in politics, media, education and culture. In his speeches and podcast, he cast American politics as a spiritual battle, frequently invoking Scripture and portraying conservatism as a bulwark for “God-given rights.”

Kirk showed off an apocalyptic style in his popular podcast, radio show and on the campaign trail. During an appearance with Trump in Georgia last fall, he said that Democrats “stand for everything God hates.” Kirk called the Trump vs. Kamala Harris choice “a spiritual battle.”

Wednesday’s shooting is the latest in a series of violent attacks on public officials across the political spectrum. For Kirk, it came during the type of event that defined his career — an open forum on a college campus, where he relished direct engagement with critics and supporters alike.